Project RC072
by Misunderstood Scribe
Summary: "The world has seen many Ages: the Age of Enlightenment; of Reason; of Desire. And now an end to Ages; an end to everything." When the Apocalypse strikes, a group of young teens try to survive. Deadly altercations and starvation become daily fare for them, while in-fighting and blossoming love threaten to complicate their situation further. Will they pull through? And at what cost?
1. Chapter 1 - The Beginning of The End

Colonel Matthew Reed sat in his leather swivel chair and stared at the monitor before him. It showed real-time satellite feed of the Earth's surface beamed down directly to his computer. The detail was impeccable; every cloud, smog cloud and forest fire visible when he zoomed in to specific parts. Multi-coloured dots speckled the entire map, signalling the positions of enemy governments, armies and naval fleets. But all Colonel Matthew, or Matt as he preferred to be called, was waiting for was a single email from a certain blonde Major. 'Major Reagan Miller,' Matt murmured softly, a smile slowly creeping onto his face. The spunky girl was one of his most talented co-workers. Graduating from West Point in 2005, she was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army. Several years of diligence and hard work, coupled with her inclination towards research and science convinced him to enlist Reagan in his super-secret specialised branch of the United States Army. The girl blossomed under his tutelage, and soon his sisterly feelings for her morphed into something more. Matt was frequently ridiculed for having no fear when dealing with issues of national security, yet absolutely dreading the idea of telling Reagan about how he really felt about her. Just then, his computer received a new email. Matt entered the top secret decryption key to decode the encrypted text, and his heart stopped. He stared at the words on his monitor, as if they would disappear if he looked long enough. But they remained, seven simple words which; if true, could spell the end of the world for life on Earth. 'CODE ROMEO ECHO DELTA! SITUATION EVENT HORIZON!' Suddenly, something hit him. Matt frantically grabbed his cell phone and tried calling Reagan's number, but it went straight to voicemail. He knew exactly why she wasn't answering, but his brain refused to accept the fact. He called again and again, but she never answered. Matt yelled in frustration, tears streaming down his cheeks. He took a long look at the monitor, and muttered, 'We're in for some serious shit.'

* * *

_'You have arrived at your destination_,' a female voice chirped robotically.

'Oh my gosh, we're here! Ha-ha, we're here Jade! A-ha-ha, look Beck, we're here!' Cat Valentine started babbling and giggling ecstatically. 'Tori, we're here! Tell everyone!' she screamed into her lilac coloured PearPhone, informing the Latina sitting with all the other passengers in the RV attached to the back of the truck. Beck Oliver smiled at the perky redhead before patting his GPS and saying, 'I love you, Gina.'

'Who's Gina?!' Jade West yelled shrilly, taking out her earphones; which up to that point had been pumping alternative rock music straight into her ear canals.

'Gina is my GPS, Jade,' Beck explained slowly while pointing at the navigation device. He'd been through situations like this numerous times before.

'And I told her that I love her because she managed to do in 30 minutes what Sikowitz couldn't even after seven hours!'

Jade thought for a moment before nodding her head in agreement. 'That crazy old coot told us that he knew exactly where the Beverly Hilton was, and we ended up driving all the way to Sacramento!'

'Okay, why are we still sitting here? Let's go get the others!' Cat screamed as she got out of Beck's truck and ran to the RV.

'Come on, let's make sure she doesn't get herself stuck in a revolving door or something,' Jade told Beck.

* * *

'All I really want is to be your..,' the members of Big Time Rush sang and struck their final pose in the Rocque Records studio.

'Great job, guys! Do this tomorrow and you'll kill it for sure!' Kelly Wainwright said cheerily as the boys walked out of the recording studio.

'Yeah, yeah. Just don't mess it up, alright?' Gustavo Rocque added.

'Oh come on, Gustavo! We're pretty much the hottest boy band on the planet right now!' Carlos Garcia stated.

'Not really, as a matter of fact. The worldwide success of British boy band One Direction pretty much eclipses everyone else, including us. But we're one of the hottest in America, if that's any consolation,' Logan Mitchell explained to the adorable Latino.

'Those British wannabes, with their tea and biscuits,' James Diamond scoffed, running his lucky black comb through his hair. 'The only one with the teeniest amount of handsome is Zayn. And don't even let me get started on Harry! Seriously, I have no idea what Taylor saw in him!'

'You're probably just jealous that she didn't ask you to be her date to the Grammy's,' Kelly scoffed. James pulled his tongue at her in reply.

'But what's important is that we're getting there. I mean, tomorrow we'll be opening for Nicki Minaj for crying out loud! It's gonna be huge! I for one just can't wait,' Kendall Knight said.

'Oh yeah, that reminds me. Here are some free backstage passes you can give your friends, compliments of Miss Onika. And here are eight plane tickets to JFK. The flight leaves at 8am, but make sure you're all there at least 2 hours earlier. Now go home and get some rest. It's already midnight. And absolutely no partying!' Kelly yelled to make sure her advice was acknowledged. The boys nodded vigorously before dashing out of the building, leaving Kelly and Gustavo behind.

'Those boys really are something, aren't they?' Kelly asked her heavyset boss.

'They're idiots! But… I do feel like they're sort of my children,' Gustavo said as he sat down at his grand piano, getting ready to compose more songs.

'Yeah, crazy, noisy, testosterone overdosed Los Angeles children!' Kelly chuckled, walking away to make sure everything was ready for tomorrow's concert.

* * *

'Whoa!' Andre Harris exclaimed as he stepped into their luxurious hotel suite. It had three rooms, two bathrooms and a kitchenette, each equipped with top of the line fixtures and furniture. Exquisite artwork adorned the finely painted walls, and the complete works of Beethoven and Liszt filled the room.

'How'd the school get the money to pay for this?' Trina Vega asked in astonishment.

'They allocated a few thousand bucks for us just because we got to the finals,' her sister, Tori Vega answered.

'Really? Just because of that? It's just an inter-school performing arts competition, for God's sake!' Jade exclaimed.

'Yeah, but it's the first time Hollywood Arts has ever reached the finals. Like ever. So it's a really big deal for them,' Andre told her.

'I call dibs on that room!' Sikowitz yelled suddenly and raced to one of the bedrooms, locking himself inside.

'I guess we'll have to split the remaining rooms amongst ourselves,' Sinjin Van Cleef told the rest.

'Yeah, I guess Cat, Trina and I can take one room,' Tori said with a smile.

'Okay, Beck and Jade can take the other room. Me, Andre and Sinjin can crash here on the couches,' Robbie Shapiro added.

'You guys take the room with the king-sized bed. We'll take the smaller one,' Beck told Tori good-naturedly. He then took Jade's hand and led her into their room.

'Come on guys, let's get some sleep. My eyelids feel like they weigh a ton!' Tori laughed and walked into the last remaining room, Cat running excitedly behind her.

'Hey Sinjin, get our bags,' Trina told the curly-haired lad.

'But..,' Sinjin whined.

'Sinjin!' Trina yelled at him with a murderous glint in her eyes. Sinjin squeaked in fear and carried every one of their bags into their room.

'Do you have to be that mean to him?' Tori asked with obvious disapproval in her voice, sitting on a leather duvet in one corner of the room.

'He doesn't mind. Do you, Sinjin?!'

'Not at all, Trina!' he said before making a hurried dash for the door.

'See?' Trina shrugged indifferently at Tori.

'One time, my brother asked an old lady to carry his bags back from the shopping mall. But he didn't have money for the bus. So they walked home,' Cat commented randomly. Tori threw her head back in exasperation. Cat was constantly telling them about her freaky brother's weird escapades. If everything she had said before was actually true, the other Valentine kid must be a seriously messed up dude. 'Dad had to drive her to the hospital when they got back,' Cat said and returned her attention to her purple stuffed giraffe, Mr Purple. She started nuzzling the giraffe's snout and giggling incessantly. Beside her, Trina lay slumped onto half of the entire bed, snoring lightly. Tori smiled and placed her head on an ultra-fluffy pillow on the duvet, drifting off to sleep within minutes.

* * *

'So, what do you think?' Beck asked Jade. They both sat on their bed facing each other. Beck caressed Jade's foot lightly, drawing little swirls and circles along the sole. Jade shrugged.

'Eh, I've seen better.'

Beck raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side.

'Okay, okay! It's totally awesome. Happy?' Jade asked sarcastically.

'Uhuh,' Beck nodded, grinning widely. Jade rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. Outside, they heard the sounds of Andre, Robbie and Sinjin rummaging through the mini-bar and blasting the stereo system to full volume. Just a few seconds later, they heard a door slam open and the shrill voice of Trina Vega screaming, 'Hey, could you guys keep the fuck down?! I'm trying to get some beauty sleep here!' Taio Cruz and Ke$ha promptly shut themselves up.

Beck chuckled. 'Trina is such a grunch, sometimes she beats even you in 'grunchiness'.' Jade punched his arm and got off the bed. She took her black leather jacket off and flung it to the floor, followed by her olive green tank top, and finally her grey lacy brassiere. She then stood in front of an ornate mirror and started prodding her breasts and nipples.

'Hey, if you need any help with that, I'm here y'know?' Beck voiced out from behind her with a laugh.

'Perv!' Jade said, throwing a pillow at him. 'I'm checking my boobs. Just in case I..,' she paused, hanging her head low.

'I know, babe,' the smile disappeared from Beck's face. He walked up to Jade and placed his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. 'She'll be okay Jade. Trust me. Stop being so worried,' he said soothingly. Jade turned around to face him, and Beck saw that she had started crying.

'It's just that she was the only person who ever actually cared for me when I was little. Mom and Dad, I was invisible to them. But Cathy made me feel like I was the prettiest princess in the world. We would make cardboard crowns and chase our cats all around the house.' She smirked, wiping a tear off her cheek. 'I'm so stupid. You've probably heard this a million times already.'

'You're not stupid, okay? Never say that. I'll always be here for you. No matter how many times you tell me stuff like this, I'll always be ready and willing to listen,' Beck comforted the raven-haired beauty.

'Thanks Beck,' she smiled genuinely at Beck.

'Oh, and Jade? You might wanna put your bra back on. It's kinda distracting,' Beck pointed at Jade's unrestrained breasts.

Jade laughed and said, 'Well babe, wanna bury your face in my 'distractions'?' Beck grinned and did just that.

* * *

'So, what's the big surprise you called us about?' Jo Taylor asked the four giggling boys standing in front of her. She was sitting on the orange couch in Apartment 2J, Katie Knight and Camille Roberts seated next to her.

'Yeah, what was so important that it couldn't wait for the morning?' Camille added curiously. But Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan stubbornly refused to respond to their questions, choosing instead to grin idiotically.

'Would you morons stop smiling like a bunch of crazed paedophiles and tell us?' Katie Knight asked, a touch of annoyance discernible in her voice.

'Mom should really start monitoring what you watch,' Kendall commented.

'Dude, I'm a 15 year old teenager, not Dora the Explorer. Now spill!'

'Okay, okay,' James interrupted. He flashed his pearly whites and continued. 'For your information, Big Time Rush will be opening for..,'

'Nicki Minaj, we know,' Jo said with a bored tone.

'That's your big surprise?' Katie asked incredulously.

'Yes it is! And why do you guys sound so uninterested? This is huge!' Logan retorted.

'Don't get us wrong guys, of course it's huge! It's just that we already knew about it,' Camille tried to alleviate the situation.

'How? We were all keeping it a complete secret! There is absolutely no way..,' Kendall paused for a second as the realization seeped into his mind.

'CARLOS!' Kendall yelled at the exact same moment as Logan and James. Apparently the thought had occurred to the both of them too. Carlos held his hands up and tried to make a confused face, but the boys could see right through his weak attempt at playing dumb.

'It was supposed to be a secret, dude. Why'd you tell them?' Logan asked despairingly.

'I couldn't wait, okay? It just burst out!' Carlos admitted. 'I'm sorry,' he continued, his sparkling brown eyes wide open and his lower lip pouted slightly. The guys bowed their heads in defeat, knowing that they were no match for Carlos' invincible puppy-dog face.

'Oh, alright! It's not like you can change anything anyway,' Kendall relented.

'Yay, thanks Kendall! You're the best!' Carlos threw his arms around the blond teenager and squeezed tightly.

'Yeah, yeah, tell me something I don't know,' Kendall commented and patted the Latino's back. 'Now we should really get to bed. We've got a big day ahead of us.'

* * *

4 hours later, Kendall felt someone gently shoving him. 'Kendall, wake up. It's already 5 o'clock.'

'Five more minutes, mom! Please,' Kendall pleaded, the clutches of sleep still holding him in a tight embrace.

'Dude, I'm not Mrs Knight. It's Jo,' the faceless voice said cheerily.

'Oh. Well then, five more minutes, Jo.' Kendall pulled his blanket over his head and tried to get back to sleep.

'I told you the nice approach never works with him. This is how you do wake a Knight up,' a more matured female voice advised. Suddenly, a torrent of icy cold water splashed onto Kendall's face. He sputtered in shock, his mouth agape and his eyes bulging out. In front of him stood his mother and his girlfriend, both wearing smirks of satisfaction.

'What did you do that for?!' Kendall yelled irately.

'You and I both know that pretty much the only way I can get you to get outta bed before 9am. Now go take a shower and get dressed. Everyone else is waiting. Chop chop!' Mrs Knight instructed before leaving the room.

'You heard the lady. Get your cute little ass into the bathroom,' Jo repeated.

'Care to join me there, milady?' Kendall asked cheekily. Jo's eyebrows shot up and she placed her hands on her hips.

'Shower first, sex later,' she said with an enticing smile.

'Pinky swear?' Kendall held his little finger out. Jo laughed and intertwined her pinky with his, saying 'Pinky swear.' But instead of letting go of Jo's little finger, Kendall grabbed her wrist with his other hand and pulled her on top of him.

'On second thought, maybe we could just lie in bed like this all day. No sex, no touching, just talking,' he whispered lovingly in the blonde's ear. Jo giggled shyly and leaned in to kiss him. Her soft and luscious lips pressed against Kendall's, while her hands roamed all over his toned chest. Kendall caressed Jo's cheek gently and tucked a stray lock of her flaxen hair behind her ear. After what seemed like eternity, Jo pulled out of the kiss slowly and smiled.

'Get ready,' was all she said before walking out of the room. Once she left his bedroom, Kendall noticed that Jo's kiss had left him with a raging boner.

'You're just gonna have to make do with Rosie Palms for now, little buddy,' Kendall sighed, grabbing his smartphone and heading for the bathroom.

* * *

'He's wide awake now,' Jo informed the crowd gathered in Apartment 2J. 'Is everyone else ready?' she asked.

'James is still making sure he has adequate supplies of hairspray and teeth whitener for the trip, but the rest of us are ready to go! Woohoo, Nicki Minaj!' Katie jumped around like a bunny high on meth.

'Sheesh girl, calm down. You're gonna get a heart attack,' Camille told the overexcited tween. Katie pulled her tongue out at the brunette, who returned the gesture. Camille then plopped herself down on the orange sofa next to Carlos. 'What time is it?' she asked the Latino. He glanced at his watch and replied, '5.10.'

'Which means we only have 50 minutes before we have to be at the airport! Kendall, James, hurry up boys! We'd better not get caught in the LA rush hour traffic. We'll be stuck in there for hours!' Mrs Knight yelled loudly as she gathered all their backpacks and luggage in the middle of the room.

'I'm ready!' James sauntered out of his room with a can of Cuda hairspray in his hand. He ran a hand across his perfectly sculpted coiffure to ensure no stray hairs were sticking out and flashed a smile. 'Kendall's not ready yet? Awesome!' James fist pumped the air and ran in his room.

'Sleeping isn't the only time we have to rush Kendall whenever we're in a hurry,' Mrs Knight explained upon seeing Camille and Jo's puzzled faces. Just then, an anguished yell emerged from inside Kendall's bathroom. 'James, you're such an asshole!'

James scampered out of the bedroom, barely able to contain his laughter. He was followed by a furious Kendall, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped haphazardly around his hips. Water droplets ran in rivulets down his washboard abs, and his towel was low enough to provide a little glimpse of his well-trimmed golden pubic hair.

'¡Ay, caramba!' Carlos exclaimed.

'Whoa, nice view,' Camille purred seductively. Jo elbowed her ribs in retaliation.

'Ow, hey!' Camille shouted in annoyance.

'That's MY boyfriend. Stay down,' Jo added warningly. 'Care explaining why you're standing there half-naked and soaking wet?' she asked Kendall.

'Ask him!' Kendall replied, pointing at James, who was still laughing his head off.

'Whenever Kendall takes too long in the shower, we mess with the controls for the water heater in Kendall's bathroom,' he managed to say in between bouts of laughter.

'You almost boiled me alive!' Kendall shouted.

'Boys, that's enough. We're in a rush, so go get dressed, Kendall,' Mrs Knight said sternly. Kendall shot James another glare before walking to his room. 'Okay, as for the rest of you, wait for him to finish up. Once he's ready, get the bags and come to the parking lot.'

* * *

Tori woke up to the throbbing pain of her cramped neck muscles. She rubbed her sore neck and groaned, stretching her arms and legs. She looked at the wall clock and saw that it was only 6 o'clock. The Latina then glanced at the bed and saw that both Trina and Cat were still fast asleep. Not wanting to wake them up, she crept out of their room soundlessly. Walking into the foyer of the room, she saw Andre, Robbie and Sinjin draped all over the couches. Half-empty bags of potato chips and crushed beer cans littered the floor. _The boys must've had one heck of a party last night_, Tori thought. She sneaked past them and headed to the kitchenette for a fruit and yogurt smoothie, her food of choice for breakfast. As she walked into the small kitchen, Tori noticed Beck cooking something, his back turned towards her. He was wearing a tight lime green T-shirt and plaid boxers, and his hair was tousled slightly.

'Hi Beck,' Tori greeted cheerfully. Beck jerked his head up in surprise and turned towards the source of the voice.

'Oh, hey Tori. I was just making some breakfast. Want an omelette?' he offered Tori.

'Nah, I actually wanted a smoothie,' Tori shook her head.

'One smoothie coming right up,' he announced with a grin.

'But I…'

'I insist,' Beck cut her off. Tori smiled gratefully and sat on a wooden chair, while Beck started slicing apples and bananas. As she waited for her breakfast, Tori's hyperactive mind started wandering. She decided to focus all her attention on Beck, and noticed something interesting; what seemed to be a sizeable hickey on Beck's neck. '_Whoa, a hickey? Beck got laid last night?'_ Tori giggled immaturely. Beck turned around and looked at her curiously.

'What?' he asked.

'Oh, nothing,' Tori got evasive. '_The last thing I want is for Beck to find out that I know that he had sex last night_,' she told herself. Beck shrugged and poured the beige tinted smoothie mix into a tall glass.

'Breakfast is served,' Beck gave Tori the glass. Tori took a big gulp and moaned. 'Oh my gosh, this tastes so good!'

Beck bowed slightly and laughed, before sitting opposite Tori at the table. Tori continued drinking the heavenly smoothie, but her attention kept getting drawn towards Beck's hickey.

'Okay, what's up?' he suddenly asked.

'Huh?'

'You keep staring at my chest. Why?' Beck raised one eyebrow suspiciously.

'Umm, I like your shirt. That's why,' Tori avoided from telling him the truth. Beck cocked his head to one side, as if saying '_That's it? That's the best lie you could come up with?_ '. Beck was obviously not buying it.

'Oh, alright,' Tori relented. 'I couldn't help but notice the little… 'lovebite' you have there,' she admitted.

'Wha- Oh, shit!' Beck shot up and rushed to go get a mirror. Half a minute later, he returned with a guilty look on his face.

'Sorry, I told Jade not to get too rough, but...'

'No need to be sorry. It's none of my business anyway. You have the right to sleep with anyone you want,' Tori said. Beck searched her face for any sign of sarcasm, but found none. Tori took another big gulp of her smoothie.

'Okay, wanna go take a walk downstairs? I've been dying to use the grand piano in the main atrium,' Beck suggested. Tori looked down at her outfit; a neon pink tank top and white shorts. 'You look fine,' he assured her. 'Now come on, finish your smoothie and let's go!'

Tori downed the last remaining portion of her delicious breakfast and got up. 'Come on then.'

Beck and Tori snuck out of the hotel room and walked down the empty hallways. They didn't even have any shoes on; the thick carpeting tickled Tori's feet. They held each other's hands and giggled like little kids until they reached the elevator. As they waited for the elevator, Beck and Tori discussed and talked about their performance for the competition later in the day.

'Did you tell Sinjin that we've cut Jade's second act and replaced it with Andre's solo part?'

'Yeah. BTW, Cat really needs some help with her costume. Remember when she first tried putting it on and had to go to the school nurse?' _Ding!_ 'Oh look, it's here. After you,' Tori gestured.

'Alright then,' Beck started once they both entered the elevator. 'Let's get you a last minute practice session, kay?'

'But Andre's not here.'

'So?' Beck asked with an inquisitive look on his face.

Tori sniggered. 'Wait, you're gonna play the piano for me?'

'It could happen!' Beck defended himself.

'So are you actually gonna do it?'

'No,' Beck admitted sheepishly. 'Andre gave me a recording of the song. You could use that.' _Ding! _

'C'mon, Oliver. Let's go.'

They were an odd sight to behold, two attractive teenagers in their nightclothes in the middle of a posh hotel lobby. Beck sat at the piano and cracked his knuckles. He pressed the ► button on his phone's screen to play Andre's recording, then placed it on top of the piano. When Tori started singing, her mellifluous voice reverberated throughout the deserted lobby. The only person there besides Beck and Tori; a handsome receptionist over at the reception counter applauded as soon as the song was over. Tori winked flirtatiously at him and gave a little wave. The guy grinned and scribbled something on a piece of paper, which he then held up for Tori to see.

'Hey, I'm Brad. Wanna get sum coffee l8r?' it read. Tori nodded, performing her signature move, the 'flirtatious hair-flip' as Jade liked to call it.

'Ooh, looks like someone's got a date!' Beck teased her.

'Shut up,' Tori pulled her tongue out at him.

'Oh Brad, you're so muscular and tough! And your blue tie totally brings out your eyes,' Beck fawned mockingly in a falsetto voice while tucking his luxuriant hair behind his ears like Tori.

'Oh Beck, if you're crushing on him, just say so,' she retaliated. They started shoving each other playfully, which turned into an all-out tickle fight. As Tori tried to block Beck's prodding fingers, she noticed a haggard old man enter the hotel lobby. His clothes were torn and shredded, which led Tori to the conclusion that he was a homeless man. He shuffled towards Brad at the reception counter, who still hadn't noticed the hobo's presence. He seemed to be filing some papers, his back turned towards the advancing man. A chill went up Tori's spine, and she felt compelled to somehow let Brad know about the hobo. '_What if he's some psycho murderer, or a hotel receptionist robber, or a flasher?' s_he thought. Without a second thought, Tori yelled, 'Hey Brad!' The receptionist swiveled around and saw the weird old man standing at the counter. Tori saw Brad trying to talk to the man, but he didn't seem to respond. She saw him wave a hand in front of his face, probably trying to get his attention. Suddenly, the seemingly slow old man grabbed his hand with surprising agility. '_What the fuck is he... ' _Tori's jaw dropped as the hobo chomped on Brad's fingers. Brad started screaming in pain and horror as the lunatic started sawing through his fingers with his teeth. 'BECK, that crazy guy is trying to EAT BRAD!' Tori screamed frantically.

'Trying to eat Brad? What are you talking ab... HOLY crap!' Beck sprang into action, grabbing a wooden chair and running towards the terrible scene. He raised the chair high into the air and slammed it onto the deranged hobo, who crumpled to the floor. Brad was cowering under the counter, nursing his mutilated hand. Two of his fingers were missing, bloody stumps the only remnants of the absent digits. 'Tori, bring Brad up to our room and call the police. And an ambulance,' Beck told Tori, who was still standing near the piano.

Tori nodded and ran towards Brad, and screamed again when she saw the grotesque scene. 'Your HAND!' Oh my God, look at your hand!' Tori shrieked hysterically.

'Calm down, Tori! You're not helping him. Just… take a deep breath and look away,' Beck advised her.

'What about you?'

'I'm gonna restrain him,' Beck replied, pointing towards the hobo who lay passed out on the floor. 'Now go. He needs medical attention fast.'

'Okay. Come on Brad, let's go meet my friends,' Tori said, grasping his wrist and trying to avoid looking at his horrific injury. Beck walked into the office to rummage for some string or twine to tie the hobo up, when he heard Tori's unmistakable scream. 'BECK! HELP!' Beck sprinted out of the office, and gasped.

* * *

'Okay kids, we're here!' Mrs Knight exclaimed, parking her black Audi A3 and getting out of the car. The motley crew of teenagers (and one tween) followed her lead; grabbing their bags and heading for the airport. The Sun was just peeking out from below the horizon, its golden rays permeating the receding night's darkness. Logan glanced at his watch, and said, 'It's 6.12. We're 12 minutes late, guys.'

Katie scoffed. '12 minutes, big whoop.' The excitement which coursed through her veins earlier had been dissolved by the combination of sleep deprivation and hunger, replaced instead by grouchiness. 'Mom, I'm hungry!' Katie whined to her mother.

'We'll get some muffins and coffee at a Starbucks in the airport after we check ourselves in,' was her reply. They walked briskly towards the entrance of Los Angeles International Airport, not wanting to be another minute late. As soon as they stepped into the airport, the sizeable crowd astounded them.

'Wow, this many people get up this early?' James asked with astonishment.

'Yeah, and if we don't hurry, all those people will be in front of us in every single queue,' Jo noted.

'Come on, let's go look for the check-in counter,' Mrs Knight told them.

'Wait, why don't a few of us go buy breakfast first? At least that way we'll save some time,' Kendall said. Mrs Knight nodded in agreement. 'Logan, Camille and Carlos, you follow me to the check-in counter. The rest of you, go get us food. We meet up right here as soon as we're done, kay?'

'Sure thing Mom. C'mon guys, I'm starving,' Kendall led Jo, Katie and James to appease their hunger.

'Carlos, Camille, Logan, we'll get breakfast too,' Mrs Knight promised them upon seeing their faces fall. 'Patience is a virtue,' she preached as they proceeded to check themselves in.

'Food!' Katie's face lit up as they walked into McDonalds. The scrumptious aroma of French fries and greasy burgers which wafted into their nostrils drove their salivary glands into overdrive. James and Katie stood in line while Jo and Kendall sat at a vacant table.

'So, opening for Nicki Minaj? I guess Big Time Rush just hit the big time,' Jo initiated conversation.

'You bet your fudge we have!' Kendall grinned.

'Today must be a really important day for you, huh?' Jo continued.

'Of course it is!' he replied.

'Cause you'll be singing along with a voluptuous rapper on stage in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans?'

Instead of saying anything in return, he leaned forward and placed his hand on Jo's. Kendall looked into Jo's eyes; green met brown. 'No babe. It's because today's our fifth anniversary.'

Jo's eyes widened in surprise and a sweet smile appeared on her face. 'You remembered,' she said with a tone of astonishment.

'Why wouldn't I?' he asked gently.

'Well, you have been really busy with the band, and practice, and dancing, and Nicki Min...' Kendall halted Jo's rambling with a light kiss, which slowly deepened. Just then, James and Katie walked up to their table with their breakfast.

'Guys, we've got the food already. No need to eat each other,' James and Katie sniggered.

'You guys are just jealous you don't have someone to kiss,' Jo sneered.

'Whatever. Here's the apple pie you wanted, Jo. And your double cheeseburger, Kendall,' Katie handed them their food items.

'Let's go find the others. We can eat while walking,' Kendall suggested. Just as they exited McDonalds, they all heard the sound of terrified screaming somewhere in the crowd. A commotion rippled through the masses, as confusion gripped each and every individual. Suddenly, they saw Logan, Camille, Carlos and Mrs Knight racing towards them, their faces pale as ghosts.

'Run. Just run. Don't look back; don't stop till we reach the car. We'll explain later. Got it?' Mrs Knight instructed. Kendall, Jo, James and Katie nodded and began to run towards the exit. Mere moments later, more screams were audible, and all hell broke loose. People started running like headless chickens, shoving and pushing each other to escape some unseen danger. Katie gagged when she saw an elderly woman get trampled underfoot after she slipped and fell down on her back.

'Kendall, what the hell is going on?' Jo clutched her boyfriend's arm firmly as she ran. Her other arm gripped Katie's wrist tightly.

'I have no idea,' he replied. They continued their sprint towards the Audi without another word, each lost in their own thoughts.

'As soon as we reach the car, get in and slam the doors shut. No dawdling, understand?!' Mrs Knight commanded them. She sounded strong, but Kendall knew his mother well enough to know this wasn't her usual bravado. '_Something must've really scared her back there,' _he thought. He looked at Logan and Camille, who were holding hands and running together. Camille was definitely hyperventilating, while Logan was probably trying to calm the girl down. Even happy-go-lucky Carlos seemed to be a little spooked. Kendall's curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to sneak a peek behind him. What he witnessed would permanently scar him. People were attacking and eating other people, biting and chewing and swallowing human flesh. Blood dripped down their chins and soaked their clothes. Dead bodies lay all over the parking lot, surrounded by puddles of blood.

'Kendall, stop looking!' Carlos yelled at him. His brown puppy-dog eyes were sparkling with fresh tears.

'Okay, get in now! Hurry, hurry!' Mrs Knight urged them when they got to the car. All of them rushed inside and shut the doors behind them. Mrs Knight started the ignition and put the pedal to the metal. The tires squealed in protest as they drove away from the dreadful carnage.

* * *

Tori was in grave danger. Three more of the loons had entered the lobby and were shuffling towards her, their vacant eyes focused on a potential meal. Two of them appeared to be female, wearing pretty patterned muumuus; while the other looked like a middle-aged man. Tori definitely had a lead over the loons, but Brad was going into shock, and was slowing her down. 'HELP!' she cried out. Beck was about to rush to her rescue, when common sense hit. '_What if there are more of those things?' _he thought. Beck decided to block the entrance just in case any more crazies tried to get in. His 'Uncle' Barbara owned a posh hotel in Boston, so Beck had been exposed to the inner workings of hotels like this since a young age. He looked for the button which controlled the sensor-activated automatic glass doors in the office. Upon finding it, he turned it off, making it impossible to enter the hotel without breaking the doors open. Once he was satisfied, he headed for Tori. By then, the three loons had almost caught up to her. She was still struggling to get both herself and Brad to safety, but it was impossible. One of the crazies latched onto Brad's ankle and sunk its teeth into it. 'Arrgghhh!' Brad screamed in pain before passing out. 'Brad! Oh God, hurry up Beck!'

'Hold on, Tor! I'm coming!' Beck yelled out. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and swung it around like a baseball bat. He bashed the top of the first loon's head with his makeshift weapon so hard that it was reduced to half its original size. He did the same to the second, and then tried to kill the third. After a few hits to the head, the loon let go of Brad. A few yellowish teeth were still embedded in Brad's ankle, which made Tori puke. 'C'mon Tori, carry his legs. I'll carry his torso,' Beck said and lifted Brad up by the underarms. They walked towards the elevator and hit the 'up' button.

'Hurry up, for God's sake!' Tori screamed at the elevator. Suddenly, they heard the sound of glass shattering.

'Please no...' Beck muttered and turned around to see that about ten loons had broken through the glass doors and were aiming straight for them. 'Head for the stairs!' Beck told Tori. They staggered towards the stairway and tried to ascend it. But Brad wasn't a light person, and fatigue was setting in both of them. To make things worse, more and more of those things seemed to be pouring in. As they struggled up the second flight of stairs, Beck had a thought which he didn't like at all. However, the idea started growing more appealing every second. Finally, Beck made the hardest decision he ever had to make in his life. 'Tori, we're gonna have to leave Brad behind,' he told the exhausted Latina.

Tori stared at him like he was a loon himself, and said with a clipped tone, 'Beck, we are not leaving him to the mercy of those things.'

'Tori, look at this realistically! You and I both know that we aren't gonna make it back to our room with him in time! Either way, he's gonna die. The question is whether we will too?' Beck yelled in frustration. Tori took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 'At least he's unconscious, Tor. He won't feel a thing,' Beck coaxed her. Behind them, he heard the chilling moans of the fast approaching loons. '_Come on, Tori! Hurry up!' _Beck screamed in his mind. After an agonizing wait, Tori nodded and let go of Brad's legs. Beck placed him on the ground and grabbed Tori's wrist before dashing up the flights of stairs. When they were at the fourth floor, they heard a blood-curdling scream emanate from below them. Beck heard Tori stifle a sob and wiped a few tears from his eyes himself. Once they reached the eighth floor, Beck and Tori made a mad dash for their room. They knocked on the room door frantically, shouting their friends' names repeatedly. After about ten seconds, Andre opened the door.

'Hey guys, we were wondering where…' The easy-going smile disappeared from Andre's face as he took in their bloody and dishevelled appearance. But Beck and Tori had no time for him. They pushed past him and slammed the door shut, locking it as well. Everyone was already awake, sitting on the couches and chatting happily. But they too looked shocked to see Beck and Tori.

'What the hell happened to you guys?' Trina asked, getting up from her seat on the couch.

'We'll explain later. Now I need you guys to barricade the door!' Tori told her.

'Barricade the door? What for?' Robbie inquired.

'A bunch of crazy zombie guys are attacking and eating people, that's why!' Beck replied as he pushed an armoire to block the door.

'Zom-what? You two high on drugs or something?' Jade said sceptically. But before Beck or Tori could say anything in reply, Jade got her answer. They heard frenzied knocking on the wooden doors of several rooms beside theirs. As soon as the doors opened, they heard horrifying screams and creepy moans. Crimson blood seeped from underneath their door, staining the beige carpeting. Just then, someone started knocking on their door.

Cat squeaked and ran to hide in her room. 'I'm under my bed, I'm under my bed, I'm under my bed!' she squealed continually. Everyone's hearts stopped for a moment, terrified at the prospect of what stood behind that door.

Beck inhaled deeply and started barking out orders. 'Andre, Sinjin; carry the table from the girls' room here. Trina and Robbie; go get the chairs from the kitchenette now. Hurry up, people!' Tori walked limply into her room and shut the door, still in shock over the earlier events.

'What happened down there, Beck? What's going on?' Jade demanded to know.

Beck turned to her, his eyes glistening with tears. 'I wish I knew, Jade. I wish I knew.'


	2. Chapter 2 - Coming to Terms

'Okay mom, love you too,' Tori said tearfully before hanging up.

'So?' Andre asked gently, not wanting to upset the emotionally unstable girl.

'They're okay, thank God. They've locked themselves up in our house, and there's enough food to last them a week or two,' she explained, giving him a brave little smile. Beside her, Trina let out a huge sigh. She wrapped her arms around Tori and squeezed tight, both Vega sisters silently crying in relief. The others tried to act happy for them, but it wasn't easy. With the exception of Cat, none of them had successfully communicated with their family members. '_At least I can have some closure,_' Cat thought. From her short conversation with her brother, she found out that neither her mom nor dad had made it. They were attacked by their next-door neighbors; the Farleys, in their garden. Cat's brother managed to lock himself in the pantry with a few knives as protection before they could get him too. '_Stay safe and stay strong, Kitty Cat. Just remember that I'll always love you.' _His last words bounced around her mind. He truly was Cat's only friend when she was younger. Even though he was 'mentally challenged' according to some of his doctors; in Cat's eyes, he would always be a swashbuckling pirate, or a charming prince of a faraway kingdom. She giggled as she reminisced about the time they refused to leave their swimming pool until they successfully turned into merpeople, and the time when he dressed up as an Arabian belly dancer for Halloween just to shock the totally religious Mrs. Maria who lived across the street. 'I'll always love you too, Damian,' Cat whispered softly, blowing a kiss to the air. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was seven o'clock. About 12 hours since the _incident _happened. Cat grimaced at the memory of the sounds she heard; the horribly scary sounds of people dying. Not once did they cease; the screams, the moans, the wet chewing sounds. Every time one of those things banged on their door, Cat's heart would start hammering at a million beats per second. She uttered countless prayers to ensure their rudimentary barricades would hold up. '_So far, they had been enough, but how long will they last?' _she wondered. _'And what about food? We do have a ton, but there are a lot of us. Will it be enough?'_ Cat frowned. Thinking about stuff like that made her head hurt.

* * *

'Is it safe now? I really need to pee,' Katie asked; her voice shaky.

'Wait, I'll check. The rest of you, stay down!' Kendall said strictly. He slowly crept up and peeked out of the window. 'No sign of anything. I think they're all gone,' Kendall told them.

'Good!' Katie said, dashing out of the car and into some nearby bushes.

'I'll go with her, just to make sure nothing happens,' Jo assured Kendall with a wink.

'Be careful!' Kendall yelled as she jumped out.

'I can't feel my legs!' Camille complained as she sat up and stretched her worn out muscles.

'Whataya expect? We were stuck contorted like that for 12 hours!' James told her.

'12 hours?' Carlos was stupefied. He couldn't believe that they had stayed completely motionless in such twisted positions for half a day. He had been planking on the back seat floor, on top of James and Logan. Jo and Camille were curled up like millipedes on the back seat with Katie draped over them; while Kendall and Mrs. Knight were squeezed into the cramped space between the dashboard and the driver's seat and passenger's seat respectively. Carlos' mind drifted back to their harrowing experience earlier that day...

_'Drive faster Mom!' Katie screamed shrilly. _

_'I'm driving as fast as I can without crashing into a lamp post!' Mrs. Knight said, her eyes never leaving the road. _

_'What in God's name were those.. things?!' James asked. _

_'We don't know, James! And now's not really the best time to talk about it!' Camille yelled. _

_'Wait, what's that up ahead?' Logan pointed at a strange scene around 500 meters from their current position. As they got closer, they realized that it was a large traffic jam of cars, but none of the vehicles were moving. _

_'What's wrong with them? Why aren't they... Holy shit!' Kendall swore loudly. _

_'Kendall, watch your tongue!' Mrs. Knight reprimanded her son. _

_'Mom, there's more of them!' _

_Carlos's breath hitched as his eyes confirmed Kendall's claim. A large group of those flesh-eating diablos were dead ahead, skulking around abandoned cars on the road. Their clothes were still dripping wet with blood, their skin torn and shredded. Carlos uttered a prayer his mother had taught him, and said, 'They haven't spotted us yet. We should turn back before they do.' _

_'It's a one-way road, Carlos. Turning back will lead us to the airport, and we already know what's there,' Logan deduced. _

_'We can't go forward either, thanks to the abandoned cars. Plus, the zombies themselves are right there,' Jo added. _

_'So what do you say we do, huh?' Carlos asked with annoyance. _

_'We're just gonna have to stay put, try and wait for those things to leave,' Mrs. Knight uttered with a tone of finality. _

_'Umm, guys? I think they've realized we're here!' James screeched. Carlos turned to look; and sure enough, a sizeable group of zombies were trudging towards their cars. _

_The sight of their imminent doom sent Kendall into a frenzy. 'Okay guys, listen up! Start hiding now! Squeeze yourselves into the teensiest spaces you can! The windows are tinted, so that should give us some cover. But make sure you're as camouflaged as possible! Go, go, go!' _

'Carlos?' The Latino looked up to see James staring at him with a worried look on his face. Everyone else had already left the car, leaving the two of them alone. 'You alright there, buddy?'

Carlos shook his head slowly. 'I just saw several people rip and tear other people into pieces. Whataya think?' he said scathingly.

James patted his lap, saying, 'Come sit with daddy.'

'James...'

'Come on!' James insisted.

'Oh, alright!' Carlos reluctantly sat on James' lap, and immediately started crying.

'Shh, it's gonna be alright Los. It's all gonna be alright,' James assured him, gently pulling Carlos' head closer to him and stroking his hair comfortingly.

'How do you know?' Carlos mumbled, his voice muffled by James' chest.

'I just do,' James answered with confidence. 'Now I want you to relax, okay?' Carlos nodded and snuggled closer to James. In a way, he was thankful that James was around. Even though he considered Kendall and Logan as his best friends as well, he was much closer to James. They had been best friends long before Kendall and Logan entered the picture. James was sort of like the big brother he never had. Papi and Mami loved him more than anything in the world, but their careers prevented them from spending much time with him. Most of his childhood revolved around obnoxious teenage babysitters who invited their boyfriends over as soon as his parents left. The few times he wasn't stuck with those boneheaded bimbos, he would be all alone at home with nothing but the television for company. One day, as he was watching Spongebob, he heard the doorbell ring.

'Hey there, chump!' a grinning boy waved cheerily when he opened the door. 'Listen, those girls over there and I would love to play with your trampoline. So could we? Please?!' he practically begged.

'Uh, sure,' Carlos said, a tad unsurely. He had never actually talked to another kid his age before, so it was a new experience. 'Cool. C'mon girls!' James ran towards the trampoline. But when he was halfway there, he abruptly stopped and turned around. 'Aren't you coming?' he asked Carlos, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

'Huh?' Carlos was surprised. _The kid wants me to join him? _

'Come on. It's your trampoline.' The kid walked up to Carlos and took his hand. 'I don't bite, okay? I'm James,' the boy introduced himself. 'And you are?'

'Carlos,' Carlos replied and smiled. Little did he know that that incident would be the precursor of a life-long friendship.

* * *

'Aah, that feels so much better,' Katie said after relieving herself behind some bushes.

'Come on, we should get back before Kendall starts freaking out,' Jo told her. She grasped Katie's wrist and led her to the car.

'Ow, Jo!' Katie yelped in pain. 'You're clawing my skin off!'

'Sorry sweetie. I guess I'm just a little jumpy after today,' Jo apologized.

Katie involuntarily shivered. 'Tell me about it. What do you think happened back there?'

'I have no idea, Katie. But listen, I really think we should forget about it for now, okay?' Jo bent down slightly so her eyes were level with Katie's. 'Have a good night's sleep, and when we wake up tomorrow, maybe everything will turn out to be some huge Hollywood prank!' Katie giggled and nodded. 'Now come on. Let's get back to the car.' As they walked towards Mrs. Knight's hatchback, they noticed that everyone else had already exited the car. 'Looks like everyone needed some fresh air,' Jo commented. They entered the car and noticed James and Carlos seated there.

Before Jo or Katie could say a word, James placed a finger to his mouth and pointed at Carlos. 'He's asleep, so keep it down,' he whispered.

'Oh, sure,' Jo said. 'Katie, you can sleep with me,' she turned towards the tween.

'Whoa, I'd kinda prefer going on a date first!' Katie grinned, much to Jo's chagrin and James' amusement.

'What are you watching on TV?!' she semi-yelled.

'Calm down, alright?' Katie said, cuddling with Jo like Carlos was doing with James. Within minutes, the Sandman seemed to have made a visit to little Katie Knight.

'So, are you guys…?' Jo paused, unsure of how to continue.

'Dating?' he guessed. Jo nodded apprehensively.

'You don't need to be so scared, Jo. You're as pale as a ghost!' James laughed. 'No, we aren't dating. He's like my little brother. Dating him would be incest!'

Jo laughed, before continuing. 'It's just; I think it's really admirable that you were brave enough to come out of the closet, James.' James smiled shyly in return. After a big pause, he started speaking.

'You know what the biggest thing that held me back from admitting that I'm gay was? It wasn't the fans, or the tabloids, or even the asshole homophobes on this planet. It was my mom. I was so afraid of what she would say if she knew. The last time I went to visit her; I overheard her talking to her sister, my Aunt Reyna. At first I didn't really understand what was happening. Aunt Reyna was blubbering like a baby, going on and on about how she was stupid and that she should've seen it coming. But soon I realized that Aunt Reyna was crying because she'd been dumped, by her girlfriend! And Mom wasn't yelling at her, or angry in any way. She was consoling Aunt Reyna, being there for her when she needed it most. After Aunt Reyna left, I approached my mom and told her everything. And do you know what she said to me? 'Sweetie, I've known you were gay since you were a six-year old, strutting up and down the staircases with poise and elegance that could put Cinderella to shame. I never judged you for that. I've judged you for lots of other stuff, I'll admit. But definitely not for your sexual orientation. You'll always be my little Jamie, alright?' And I realized that if my own mother doesn't mind me being attracted to boys, then why should I bother about what anyone else thinks?'

'Then why did you go on dates with all those girls?'

James shrugged. 'Sometimes, when everyone around you acts a certain way, you try really hard to be like them. I guess I tried so hard that I managed to bury my true feelings and emotions completely. I went on dates with many girls, but it never did feel right, you know? At that time, I thought that I just hadn't found the right one for me yet, and that if I dated enough girls, I'd eventually find her. It took me so long to realize that I would never find the right girl, because she simply didn't exist.'

Jo continued. 'So what made you realize you were gay?'

'I was at a party with the boys at some club in downtown LA. Kendall and Logan were over by the bar, downing martini after martini. Carlos was talking to a Russian supermodel or something. I was pretty wasted, and started grinding on the dance floor. This cute guy came up to me and started dancing with me. I remember him trying to talk to me, but could barely hear what he was saying. The rest of the night was a total blur to me. Next thing I know, I wake up and see that I'm completely naked in some stranger's bed. I jumped outta bed and started freaking out. Then, the dude from yesterday walked out of his bathroom, and he was confused as hell! I tried to explain that it was a one-time thing, and that I was drunk, and that I was so sorry. He just stood there, butt naked, with an annoying smirk on his face. After listening to me blabber on and on, he laughed and said, 'Dude, I don't see what the big problem is. You slept with a guy, so what?' 'I'm not gay!' The guy raised one of his eyebrows and chuckled. 'Well, for a straight guy, you were pretty talented last night,' he told me before jumping back onto his bed. Then, he looked at me and said, 'Listen hotshot, when you finally figure all of this out, call me okay?' As I walked back to the Palm Woods, I thought about what he'd said, and realized that he was right. I was gay, and there was nothing wrong with it.' James smiled upon completing his long narrative.

Jo had one final query. 'How cute was the guy?'

James grinned and answered. 'Ryan Reynolds-cute!'

'Lucky!'

They burst into a fit of infectious giggles, hugging their aching bellies. Just then, they heard panicked shrieks from around them.

'Run, get back to the car now!' they heard Kendall yell above the din. Jo turned to James, her eyes as big as saucers. 'Oh, crap…'

James threw the doors open for the others to get in as fast as they could.

'Drive, drive, drive!' Kendall repeated like a broken record, pounding the dashboard with his fists as soon he jumped in.

'I'm trying to start the stupid thing, but it's not working!' his mom retorted, her hands shivering with fear. Logan looked ahead at the fast approaching horde of zombies and gulped. The things were jogging towards them, their rabid eyes locked onto their target. They were approximately 100 metres away, and at their current speed, Logan estimated that they would reach the car within 20 seconds. Which meant that Mrs Knight had only a third of a minute to start the car and drive away to safety.

'Mrs Knight, they're getting closer..' Camille warned.

'I know that!' Mrs Knight snapped, still fumbling around with the keys. Just then, Logan heard the reassuring purr of the car engine. Mrs Knight revved the automobile and threw the car into reverse.

'Where are we going?' Kendall asked as his mom sped away from the zombies.

'Well, we should probably get to a government building where there's less chaos. Perhaps we should head for City Hall?' Logan answered.

'Alright, we're now headed for LA City Hall,' Mrs Knight announced with a grin.

'Hey, do you guys think we should call Gustavo? Just to see if he's okay,' Carlos said.

'Sure Carlos. I'll call him right now,' Logan told him; pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and scrolling through his contacts. The dial tone went on and on, but Gustavo didn't pick up at all.

'Try calling Kelly,' Jo suggested. But Gustavo's personal assistant didn't pick up either.

'Maybe they've just misplaced their phones,' Kendall tried to cheer everyone up. But he wasn't fooling anyone. As they drove towards their destination, Logan looked at the scenery passing by his window. Corpses on the pavements were completely stripped of flesh, bones the only remnants of the original individuals. Occasionally, there would be zombies feasting on the dead bodies; gnashing their teeth viciously. Logan looked away, unable to stomach the graphic violence. Instead, he decided to figure out the cause of the outbreak itself. Deduction and reasoning had always been Logan's strongpoint, and right now it was the perfect thing to occupy his mind. _'What could have turned normal human beings into rabid savages?'_ he wondered. _'Perhaps a toxic spill or radiation leak somewhere that mutated or damaged their brains? Or maybe mass hypnosis organized by a freakish cult? No, neither of those make sense._ In fact, nothing makes sense right now.' He uttered that last part out loud.

Camille, who was seated next to him, gave him a peck on his cheek. 'I know Logie. But we'll be fine. I'm sure of it,' she whispered in his ear.

'I hope you're right, Camille.'

* * *

As they approached City Hall, they immediately knew that they were in for a rough time. Hundreds of people were amassed in the compound, screaming and shouting with rage. Most of them held all sorts of bloody weapons in their hands; pitchforks, axes and chainsaws which were obviously used to defend themselves from the clutches of the undead. Standing at the entrance of the building was a well-dressed man surrounded by several gun-toting policemen. He was trying to tell them something, but the general din of the crowd made it impossible for anyone to hear him.

James tapped on a paunchy middle-aged man's shoulder and asked, 'Hey, what's going on here?'

'You tell me, sonny. We're all here to try and get some answers about this whole zombie incident!' he yelled back at James. James nodded and looked back at the well-dressed man, possibly a high ranking government official. One of the policemen had given him a hailer, which he was now using to gather the crowd's attention.

'People, people, please calm down!' he told them with a nervous smile. His fear of being trampled by the unruly people surrounding him was evident.

'Now, the government is doing everything it can to assess the situation-'

'Everything it can, my ass!' a slim young woman in shorts yelled angrily.

'Those creatures are fucking eating us! And all you pussies in the government do is hide in your fancy doomsday bunkers, safe and sound; while we're fighting for our lives here!' a dark skinned man added. Soon, more furious screams and threats erupted from the crowd. The policemen began to wave their guns around, trying to scare them all into submission. Just as James was about to turn around and leave, something terrifying caught his eye. A young teenage boy leapt up the stairs and ran towards the man in the suit; a serrated machete in his grasp. The doomed government official screamed in terror, grabbing the attention of the policemen around him. Before the boy could commit the assassination, several guns had already fired dozens of rounds at him. Bright red blood spurted all over the place as he fell limply to the ground. Immediately, the crowd burst into an enraged roar. They stormed up towards the official and the policemen, each and every one of them thirsty for revenge. James felt a hand grasp his wrist and tug him away.

'Trust me. You don't wanna see what happens next,' Kendall whispered in his ear as he led James away. Behind them, the piercing sound of gunfire rang out loud.

* * *

'Dinner is served!' Sikowitz announced to his students. But no one budged an inch; each and every one of them lost in their own thoughts. 'Children, dinner! I made chicken parmesan!' he hollered to get their attention.

Robbie, who had been sleeping face down on the sofa, got up to take a look at his teacher's handiwork. 'You call this chicken parmesan?' he asked sarcastically upon seeing the plate.

'Yeah!' Sikowitz retorted.

'It looks like a plate of red baby vomit with cheese!' Robbie said with disbelief.

'Well, I'm sorry King Louis the Fourteenth, but this is the best I could do with the limited resources we have. So unless you want to starve, eat up.' Robbie took his plate and started shoving forkfuls of the amateurish meal down his gullet.

'Oh good Gandhi, will you guys get up?! You haven't eaten since today morning! Good performers can't have empty stomachs,' he told them. But except for Robbie's hungry munching, the room was silent.

'See, Robbie's enjoying it!' Sikowitz pleaded, trying to get them to see reason.

'Tell him to stuff that chicken parmesan up his ass!' Jade commented with a glare at Robbie.

'Jade..,' Beck warned; his tone disapproving. 'We don't really feel like eating right now, Sikowitz,' he continued with an attempted grin.

Sikowitz nodded understandingly. 'Tori, Trina; aren't you guys hungry?'

'No thanks Sikowitz,' Tori told him, running her hand through Trina's hair, who had fallen asleep on Tori's lap after continuously crying for close to an hour.

'Andre, Sinjin?'

'I guess we'll have some. I'm starving!' Andre quipped with a smirk. Sikowitz grinned; glad that at least some of them weren't in extreme depression-induced fasting. After serving huge portions of 'chicken parm' to both Andre and Sinjin, Sikowitz turned to ask Cat if she wanted any. He saw her leaning against a huge window, her cheek pressed to the glass. She was tracing random shapes on the glass with her finger, silently mouthing indecipherable words at the same time. Sikowitz approached the bubbly redhead slowly and crouched down next to her. 'Hey Cat, whatcha' doin?'

'Oh, Sikowitz! I was just looking at the stars in the sky,' she replied. She paused for a while and pressed her nose to the glass. 'Did you know, if you were looking at me from the other side of the window right now, I'd look just like a little piggy! Oink, oink!' she snorted like a pig.

'Cat, do you want to eat now?'

'Nope, not hungry,' she said. 'I wonder what my brother's doing right now,' Cat said all of a sudden.

'Your brother? Why- I mean, is he okay?' Sikowitz asked.

'I don't know. I called him this morning, and he said he was fine. But by now, who knows?' Cat shrugged. Sikowitz had no idea how to continue their conversation, so an awkward silence enveloped the two of them. After what seemed like an eternity, Cat asked him a question. 'Sikowitz, why are those people killing other people? Daddy told me about wars, where people shoot and explode each other. But the war people use guns and bombs and stuff. These freaks are biting and chewing other PEOPLE! What's wrong with them?' Her eyes were wide and questioning, staring right into Sikowitz's. The acting teacher wasn't sure how to respond to Cat's query.

So instead of replying, he pulled her close and rested his cheek on the top of her head. 'See that star over there?' He pointed at one of the millions of stars in the night sky.

'Which one? There are like a gajillion of them!'

'That little one over there, in between the three bigger ones,' he said.

'Oh, okay. What about it?' Cat asked.

'Uh- well, that little star used to be a beautiful princess, who had long red hair, and was really… short. The red-haired short princess' name was Princess… Shortie-Red. Princess Shortie-Red was a good little princess, but she had one bad habit,' Sikowitz paused for a second.

'What was her bad habit?' Cat earnestly inquired.

'It was… Uh, she didn't eat her dinner! Yes, she didn't like to eat her dinner! So her mommy and daddy punished her by turning her into a star. Now, you should eat your dinner before you get turned into a star. C'mon!' Sikowitz got up and made for the kitchenette.

'Kay kay! Cat giggled and ran after him. Now that she thought about it, she really was hungry. So hungry she could eat a horse.

* * *

'Hey Beck? Beck, you awake?' Beck heard Jade calling him softly. He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles and yawned.

'What?' Beck asked loudly. Looking around, he realized he'd fallen asleep on the couch.

'Shh!' Jade put a finger to his lips. She was sitting next to him, wearing nothing but a dark grey long-sleeved T-shirt with some heavy metal song lyrics imprinted on it. 'Everyone else is asleep, so keep it down!' she whispered.

'What time is it?'

Jade glanced at her Rolex wristwatch and said, '3.14.'

'a.m?' Beck asked incredulously. 'What are you doing up at this unearthly hour?'

Jade tilted her head and pursed her lips. 'Soaking my toes in neon green acorn juice,' she answered sarcastically. 'What else would any sane person want to do at 3.14 in the morning?' Jade purred seductively. All at once, the neurons in Beck's brain began firing rapidly. His lips moistened as Jade crawled towards him, her bedroom eyes beckoning him to come closer.

'Jade, we're out here in the open. I really don't think it's a good idea-'

'Cat, Tori and Trina hit the sack hours ago and Sikowitz went to bed right after.'

'What about Andre, Robbie and Sinjin? Isn't this where they sleep?' Beck asked.

'I told them to take our room. Said that they needed it more than we do,' she replied with a shrug, moving closer.

'Why? If you wanted to do this, wouldn't our room be a much better spot?'

'You know I have a fetish for doing it in public places. Come on Beck, please?' she pleaded, placing her hands on his right thigh and squeezing slightly. Beck inhaled slightly, and placed his hand on hers. Jade saw the look in Beck's eyes and grinned. She knew all his prior hesitation had evaporated in an instant. Beck put his hand behind Jade's head and pushed her towards him; latching his lips with hers. Their tongues wrestled with each other, thrashing forcefully like two killer whales in combat. Beck's hands snaked under Jade's T-shirt and squeezed her breasts. Jade moaned loudly, her eyes closed in pleasure. She grabbed onto Beck's cobalt blue T-shirt and tugged it off of him, revealing his lean body. Many insecure idiots had made fun of Beck's less muscular physique, but Jade found it much more attractive compared to ripped beefcake guys. She ran her hands up and down Beck's chest, feeling his fine and soft chest hair. Jade's hands then proceeded towards Beck's jeans; swiftly undoing his belt and his zipper. Beck helped her slip his jeans and his maroon coloured briefs off. Jade rubbed his large 7 inch uncircumcised boner vigorously, eliciting instinctive groans from Beck.

'Stop being such a tease and get on with it,' he complained.

'Ooh, someone's horny tonight!' Jade chuckled as she pulled her T-shirt off, followed by her bra and her panties. Beck stood up and pressed her naked body close to his, kissing her face and neck passionately. They took their time, each reacquainting themselves with the familiar terrain of the other's body. After a while, Jade pushed Beck back down onto the couch and climbed on top of him. With both her hands on Beck's shoulders, she hissed slightly as he inserted the tip of his dick inside her.

'Ready?' Beck growled raggedly; his brain overloaded with lust. Jade nodded quickly as she tightened her grip on his shoulders. Without another word, Beck grabbed Jade's round ass and slammed his manhood up into her, again and again and again. As Jade bounced up and down on his erect penis, Beck licked and sucked on her perk breasts. Jade on the other hand twisted and pinched Beck's nipples forcefully, causing Beck to moan pleasurably. Soon, Beck felt a familiar pulsating feeling in his lower abdomen.

'I'm coming..' he said, and increased his thrusts into Jade's vagina.

'Me- too!' Jade gasped and cursed under her breath. Her well-manicured nails dug deep into Beck's tanned back. Within seconds, Jade soundlessly screamed as she reached her climax. Beck bucked his hips several times before he came, ejaculating his milky white semen far up into Jade's intimate territory. After their orgasms, they hugged each other with their cheeks pressed together; neither saying a word. The only audible sound was their heavy breathing.

'Lucky thing I'm on the Pill, huh?' Jade chuckled after a few minutes. But Jade noticed that Beck was staring intently at her face; his dark brown eyes studying her. 'What?' Jade asked, suddenly extremely self-conscious. _'Do I have a hideous sore on my lip or something?' _she wondered.

'You were doing it again,' Beck said bluntly.

'D-doing what?' Jade stammered; trying to act confused even though she knew exactly what Beck was talking about.

'Jade, you know what I'm talking about. I was watching you. You had your eyes closed the entire time!'

'That doesn't prove anything!' Jade retorted.

'C'mon Jade, just accept the fact that-'

'Don't say another word, Beck,' Jade warned, acid practically dripping from her tongue. 'I mean it. End of story.'

* * *

'Tori! Tori, wake up now!' she heard Trina yell frantically.

'What is it, Trina? Did the bathroom run out of lavender scented bath salts?' Tori mumbled sleepily.

'No, of course not! Oh wait, maybe it did... But that's not the point! Come look at the TV!' she said, grabbing Tori's wrist and dragging her out of the room. Tori saw that everyone else was crowded around the television, most of them still in their pyjamas.

'What's this ab- Oh god.' Tori sat down on the floor next to Trina, her mouth agape. The TV was tuned in to an Asian reporter on CNN.

_'Reports are flooding in from all_ _over the North American continent about a horrific affliction which is affecting tens of thousands of people,' _the reporter said. _'Those infected with the disease, dubbed the 'Cannibal Syndrome' by many; turn into frenzied bloodthirsty man-eaters. Hospital wards are filled to the brim with the injured, while the infected are being quarantined indefinitely. The American government is entreating the public to ignore widespread rumours saying that the disease causes the reanimation of corpses. As of now, unconfirmed reports of similar outbreaks are coming in from countries as far-flung as Australia, Japan, Chile and South Africa.' _

The Hollywood Arts gang sat in abject silence as they listened to the reporter drone on about the terrible news.

'So, it's actually here?' Robbie asked.

'What?' Cat turned to him, her lip trembling slightly.

'The end of the world. Those B-grade Hollywood flicks actually got it right,' Robbie replied, shaking his head disappointedly. Tori couldn't speak. Before this, she had the impression that their harrowing experience was an isolated one, perhaps caused by escapees from a mental asylum. But the news report confirmed her darkest fears.

'That's it, I'm off,' Jade said, getting up and tying her wild locks up into a ponytail.

'Off where? In case you've forgotten, there are vicious cannibals standing outside our door, Jade,' Beck reminded her.

'I can't take it anymore, Beck! Cathy's out there somewhere, completely defenceless! I've got to go save her, no matter what.' With that said, she haughtily strode into her room; presumably to pack her bags for her insane trip.

'I'll go talk some sense into her,' Beck assured the rest. He walked into the room and shut the door behind him. Tori could hear Jade and him shouting at each other. 10 minutes later, Jade walked out of the room with a backpack in her hand.

Beck followed behind her and said, 'She wouldn't listen to me. So I decided to go with her, just to keep her safe.'

'Wait, you guys can't be serious,' Robbie said. 'You'll get yourselves killed!'

Jade merely shrugged and walked towards the kitchenette, starting to stuff apples and bagels into her backpack.

'Cathy's in Cedars-Sinai. That's like 10 blocks from here. We'll be back by tonight, okay?' Beck told them with an assuring smile.

'Sure guys. Just, stay safe alright,' Sikowitz said.

'Can I come with you guys?' Sinjin asked.

'No!' Jade shrieked with a piercing stare at the curly haired boy.

'Jade! What's your problem?' Beck yelled at her.

'I don't want Cathy to see that moss-sniffing freak!'

'We could use an extra pair of eyes, Jade,' Beck reminded her.

Jade growled as she considered the idea. 'Ugh, whatever. Just don't get in my way,' she decided.

'Yay, let's go!' Sinjin jumped joyously before running towards the door.

'Wait, don't open it yet!' Beck told Sinjin. He walked towards the front door and looked out through the peephole.

'See anything?' Trina asked.

'Nope. I guess we're gonna have to make a run for it,' Beck replied. He then turned towards Jade and asked, 'Are you sure this is necessary?'

Jade jammed a baseball bat into her bag and quipped, 'Abso-fucking-lutely.'


	3. Chapter 3 - Tilting at Windmills

'Jade, please stay,' Cat pleaded tearfully. 'The monsters are out there! They'll get you. Just like they got mom and dad,' she added with a whisper.

Jade tucked a lock of Cat's red velvet coloured hair behind her ear and patted her head. 'I'll be fine, Cat. But Cathy needs me. What if she's stuck in that hospital and can't get out? What if she's starving in there? I have to go help her,' she explained tenderly. Cat nodded slowly and threw her arms around Jade's neck.

'Stay safe,' Jade told her.

'Come on, Jade. I can't hear any of them, so let's hurry down the stairs before they show up,' Beck quipped.

'Not so fast, Beck,' Sinjin announced while peering through the peephole.

'What's wrong, Sinjin?'

'All the room doors are wide open. It would be stupid to believe that every single room is empty. And what if a giant group of them are living along the staircases?' Sinjin informed them of his concerns. To him, Beck and Jade's original plan was suicide; a horrifying and violent suicide.

'So what do you suggest we do, smart-ass?' Jade asked him, a tinge of annoyance colouring her tone. Sinjin looked around the room; trying to think of another way to get to Cathy, whoever that was. Jade hadn't really explained how she was related to Cathy; neither did she say why it was so important that they risk their lives for the mysterious girl. Sinjin wasn't trying to be callous, as the Jade obviously held some degree of sentimentality for Cathy. It was just that he would've liked a little explanation, that's all. Just then, an idea hit him. 'Be right back,' he bellowed, running towards Tori's bedroom. A minute later, he came out with a bunch of bed sheets and blankets in his arms. 'I saw this in a movie once. We could braid these together and use them to get down there,' he elucidated.

'Wait, you want us to rappel down the side of the hotel?!' Jade scoffed.

'It's much safer than your idea,' he quipped. Before Jade could reply, Beck held up his hand.

'There's no way we can reach ground level with these alone. We're on the sixth floor, for God's sake!'

'Well, if you run out of sheets, you could always get some more from the other rooms. Just land on one of the balconies and sneak into the room connected to it,' Robbie suggested.

'And what if there are more zombies in those rooms? Wouldn't it be like walking into the mouth of the tiger?' Jade asserted, obviously still annoyed that Sinjin dared to disagree with her.

'Well, you're just gonna have to handle it. For Cathy,' Tori reminded her. Jade growled in displeasure, but she knew Tori was right. If she wanted to go help Cathy, it wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

'Toss me those bed sheets. I wanna make sure they won't snap.'

Twenty minutes later, the gang had successfully braided a thick and long rope out of the bed sheets.

'This should be enough,' Beck mused.

'Alright then, I guess we better get going,' Sinjin said. The trio walked towards the balcony and looked at the surroundings of the building. 'Look down there,' Sinjin pointed at the streets. Zombies were trudging all over the place; busy gorging on dead bodies. They seemed aimless, like they had no other purpose besides filling their bellies.

'Great! There's no way we can get to Cathy without being torn up by at least fifty of these guys!' Beck lamented.

'Not necessarily.' Jade started thinking, trying to come up with an alternative mode of transport to the hospital. As she scanned the area, a black Mitsubishi Raider attached to an RV caught her eye. 'Beck, your truck! We could use it to get out of here!' she exclaimed.

'Hmm, it's kinda risky...'

'Please Beck?' Jade pleaded, grasping Beck's forearm firmly.

'Err… Oh, sure. Come on, Sinjin. Help me tie the rope to the railing.' After making sure the rope was secure, Beck threw it over the side of the parapet.

'I just remembered, I have a fear of heights!' Sinjin suddenly whimpered.

'Ugh, suck it up! And by the way, I'm going first,' Jade volunteered. She slung her backpack around her shoulder, but then a thought came to her. _'If a zombie happens to be in the room, I'd better be prepared.' _So, she pulled the baseball bat out of the bag and stuffed it down her T-shirt.

'What are you doing?' Beck asked as Jade tucked her T-shirt into her jeans.

'Making sure the bat won't fall out while I'm climbing down the rope. You boys better get your own weapons and do the same. Just in case,' she suggested. Sinjin immediately raced inside; appearing a minute later with a table leg protruding out of his plaid shirt, which was pulled up to his chest. 'You look like a dork,' Jade commented bluntly after taking a single look.

'At least it's not gonna fall out!' Sinjin retorted. 'What about you Beck? Aren't you gonna get a weapon?'

Beck shrugged and walked back into the room. He came out with a metal towel bar down the front of his tight jeans. 'Happy?' he asked.

Jade nodded with a grin. 'Alright, time to get going. We're losing daylight,' Jade commanded. She placed her left leg over the steel balcony ledge and wrapped her fingers around the linen rope.

'Stay safe, Jade!' Tori said anxiously.

'Will do, Vega,' she smiled wearily. 'Wish me luck.' And with that, Jade swung her other leg over the edge and began her descent.

* * *

The Knights' car sped along the freeway towards Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. Mrs Knight swerved and drifted like a maniac, the tyres of the hatchback screeching due to the extreme frictional forces acting upon them. Kendall was in charge of navigation; yelling the directions to the hospital forcefully. They were currently barrelling towards Cedars-Sinai at approximately 60 miles per hour; towards uncertain territory and unknown dangers. All because of one phone call…

'_Guys, guys, Kelly's calling my phone!' Logan exclaimed. He hit the 'Answer' button, followed by the 'Loudspeaker' button. 'Kelly! Are you okay?' Logan asked anxiously. All of them wanted some sort of assurance about the safety of their loved ones; including Kelly and Gustavo. _

'_Logan, thank God! I'm alright. Where are you guys?' Kelly inquired. _

'_We're outside City Hall. What about you?' _

'_I'm stuck in Cedars-Sinai right now. Thousands of people are rushing into the place, so there's no way I can- Wait, what the..?' The phone emitted sounds of scuffles and shrill screams. 'Oh shit! Listen guys, I gotta go!' she yelled. _

'_Kelly, wait!' _

'_Shh, guys. I just want you to know that I love you all, and I hope you'll get through this horror. My time is up, I guess,' she whispered. Silent sniffles and the general crackly tone of her voice told them that on the other end of the line, Kelly had started crying. _

_Kendall shook his head defiantly and grabbed Logan's phone. 'Absolutely not, Kelly! We're like, 20 minutes away from you. We'll be there to rescue you in no time!' he said. _

'_No, guys! I appreciate it but there's no wa-.' Suddenly, the phone line was disconnected. _

'_Well, that settles that,' Kendall told them. 'We're going to save Kelly.'_

The odds that Kelly was still alive were slim; the odds that was able to spot and get to their car even slimmer. But the possibility of rescuing the bubbly personal assistant was the only thing lingering in everyone's mind. They all wanted to make sure she was okay. No, they _needed _to make sure was okay.

'How much further is it?' Mrs Knight asked.

Logan looked out the window to try and ascertain their exact location at that moment before answering. 'Around 10 minutes.'

Mrs Knight gripped the steering wheel even tighter and grinned. 'Let's make it 5.' 4 and a half minutes later, Mrs Knight barrelled in front of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre.

'Okay, James, Logan, Carlos and I will go look for Kelly. You guys stay here and keep a low profile,' Kendall ordered.

'Wait, we wanna go too!' Jo protested. 'You'll need the extra manpower!'

But Kendall refused to entertain Jo. 'It'll be hard to keep track of everyone. We might find Kelly, but accidentally lose someone instead.'

'Hey, that's sexism!' Camille retorted.

'I just want everyone to be safe, okay? As we all know, the four of us work together really well. We'll be back with Kelly within 20 minutes, we promise. Until then, no one is allowed to exit the car.'

Jo nodded grudgingly, unhappy that she was being placed under 'car arrest' by her own boyfriend.

'I'll keep the engine running in case you guys need a quick getaway. Don't do anything stupid,' Mrs Knight told them as they exited the car one by one. Kendall nodded and smiled before slamming their door shut. He then ran after the other three boys, heading towards the hospital entrance.

Camille sighed and leaned her head against the car window. 'Hey Mrs Knight, hypothetical question. If two unarmed teenage girls run into a building which is possibly infested with zombies, how long would they last without getting eaten?'

Mrs Knight turned towards Camille with a puzzled look on her face. 'Huh? What are you talking about, Camille?'

'Never mind,' she said while grabbing Jo's wrist with one hand and swinging the car door open with the other. 'I guess we're gonna find out!'

* * *

Left hand, right hand. Left hand, right hand. Jade worked with a rhythm, one hand after the other. Every single adventure movie and novel she'd ever watched or read claimed that looking down should be avoided at all costs when one is traversing high places. But even without looking below her at all, Jade was absolutely terrified. One slip; and she'd be nothing but a bloody smear on the pavement. She was almost level with a room on the fifth floor. Above her, she saw Sinjin clambering down the rope, followed by Beck further up. 'We need more rope! I'm gonna go get some in this room!' she yelled to inform the two boys.

'Okay! We'll be right there,' Sinjin replied.

Jade started swinging on the rope slightly, trying to get on the balcony of the room in front of her.

'Aargh! Jade, be careful! I almost let go!' Sinjin shrieked angrily.

Jade smirked and said, 'Sorry, dude. I'll give you the heads up next time.' After several tries, she managed to grab hold of the balustrade. She pulled herself closer and scrambled onto the marble tiled platform hurriedly, glad to be treading a solid surface. She peered through the glass sliding door; searching for any undead inhabitants. 'Seems like nothing's in here,'Jade muttered to herself. 'But just to be safe..,' Jade clutched her baseball bat tightly. She took a deep breath, and swung the bat with all her might. _Crash! _The glass door shattered into a million sparkling pieces, leaving a wide opening for Jade to enter the room. She cautiously stepped into the room; her eyes scanning the room for any incongruous shapes or figures. But other than a huge puddle of blood near the front door, nothing seemed to be amiss. 'Anything there?' Jade heard Sinjin shout from outside. He had reached the balcony and was walking towards her. 'No! But I'm not sticking around to find out!' Jade ripped the sheets off the queen-sized bed and started tying them together into a long rope. Sinjin ran to the door and locked it; then rummaged through the closets for any blankets or scarfs.

'Jade, I found a cashmere shawl! Can you use it?' he asked with a beige coloured piece of cloth in his hands.

Jade walked up to him and took the shawl. 'Too soft to support our weight. But, it feels like a slice of clouds!' Jade wound the exquisite fabric around her neck and purred in contentment.

'Seriously Jade? A zombie might burst through that door any second, and you're busy playing dress-up?' Beck's voice arose from behind her.

'Oh come on, Beck! It's authentic cashmere, imported straight from Turkey!' Jade pointed at the label. 'Do you have any idea how expensive this stuff is?'

'So, that's a good reason to steal it?' Beck asked her.

'I don't see how a zombie's gonna have any use for it,' Jade shrugged.

'Whatever! Let's get out of here now!' Sinjin interrupted them exasperatedly. Beck and Jade agreed and continued their work on the braided rope. As soon as they completed it, Jade tied the rope to the parapet and continued her trip to ground level. Left hand, right hand. Left hand, right hand.

The second rope was slightly longer than the first; this one reaching two floors down. 'We're already reaching the third floor, guys! And it's not even noon yet!' Jade said through gritted teeth. Fatigue was starting to settle in, as lactic acid built up in her biceps and triceps. She was getting exhausted quickly, and desperately needed a break. 'I'm gonna land on this balcony here,' she told the boys above her. After a few quick manoeuvres (she was becoming an expert at this), Jade managed to reach the balcony safely. Once again, she looked through the glass door before breaking in. 'Nothing in here. Maybe they all went out to hunt?' she asked herself as she smashed the glass with her trusty baseball bat once more. She dashed towards the bed, intent on getting in and out without any delays. In her haste, Jade West failed to notice the dark shadow hiding behind the curtains. She didn't see it trudge towards her, its arms grasping for her. She had no clue of its approach until it grabbed her neck and brought her towards its snapping jaws.

'Aaaaiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee!' Sinjin heard Jade's terrified scream. He doubled his speedy climb downwards, screaming 'Jade's in trouble! Jade's in trouble!' over and over again.

'Sinjin, hurry! I can't hold it off for much longer!' Jade shrieked from inside the hotel room.

Above him, Beck was frantic. 'Sinjin, get your skinny ass down there NOW!'

'I'm almost there!' he shouted back. He leapt onto the balcony and rushed into the room. He saw the body of a young woman straddling Jade. She had Jade pinned down to the ground, and was trying to chomp at her neck. Jade was desperately trying to kick the zombie off of her. In her struggle, she noticed Sinjin standing there. 'What the fuck are you doing? Help me!'

Sinjin immediately grabbed a large lamp and smashed it onto the zombie. But it barely flinched; its attention still focused onto Jade. 'Holy Cthulhu...' Sinjin breathed. 'How do you kill the damned thing?!'

'Well I'm sorry, but I'm not trained in the arts of zombie slaughtering,' Jade grunted sarcastically as she fought the creature above her. 'Use the stupid table leg you stuffed down your pants!'

'Oh yeah, I forgot about it!' Sinjin grabbed it and whacked the zombie's head forcefully, spattering blood all over the room. _That _certainly captured its attention. It growled and turned to face Sinjin. He was petrified as it bared its teeth and advanced towards him. 'Sinjin, run!' Jade yelled. But Sinjin couldn't even move an inch. Fear rooted him to the spot; prone and vulnerable. The creature lunged. Sinjin flinched and scrunched his eyes closed, steadying himself for the inevitable surge of pain to manifest itself. But it never came. Sinjin opened his eyes to see Beck in front of him, a bloody metal pole in his hand. The once murderous zombie was now a lifeless heap of meat slumped on the ground; a gory hole embedded in its head.

'About time you showed up,' Jade said with a huff.

'Actually, I'd say that my timing was pretty good. I saved Sinjin from being mauled, didn't I?' Beck said. 'You okay there, buddy?'

Sinjin nodded slowly. 'Yeah, I'm fine. Now let's go save that Cathy chick before it gets dark!'

'That's the spirit,' Jade nodded approvingly. 'Maybe you're not such a wimp after all.'

* * *

'Whoa, this is gonna be harder than I thought,' Kendall drawled upon entering the hospital. The place was filled with swarms of vexed people, all seeking medical assistance for their various ailments. The frazzled doctors and nurses were scurrying all over the place, trying to help out in any way they could.

Carlos stopped a young nurse and asked, 'Umm, do you happen to know where Miss Kelly Wainwright is? She's about your height, has black hair and really big eyes.' The nurse shot him a dirty look and stomped away. 'I don't think she saw Kelly,' Carlos told the others, completely unfazed by the nurse's cold treatment.

'Okay, d'you think we should split up and look for her? We'll save a lot of time,' Logan suggested.

'I don't think so, Logan. Splitting up is always a bad idea. Haven't you ever watched horror movies before?' Carlos told him. 'The ones who split up in a dangerous situation always die first.'

'Well, it is the more logical solution,' Kendall thought about it. 'Maybe we should divide ourselves up. Me and Carlos will take that part. James and Logan, you guys take that area over there. Try asking around to see if anyone knows where she is. Who knows, we might get lucky.'

'Will do, Kendall. By the way, it's Carlos and I, not me and Carlos. You have to improve your grammar,' Logan giggled.

'Where should we go first, Carlos?' Kendall asked his hyperactive friend after James and Logan walked off.

'Umm, how 'bout those people over there? They seem friendly,' Carlos pointed towards his left.

Kendall turned to look at the group of people Carlos was referring to. 'Seriously Carlos? A biker gang?' he sighed. Carlos had the oddest circle of friends ever; consisting of paperboys, exotic dancers, sales promoters, street performers, and even a black plastic helmet. Now he seemed intent on adding these muscular bikers to that circle. 'I dunno, Carlos. It seems dangerous.'

'Oh, c'mon Kendall! What's the worst that could happen?'

'You really wanna know? Okay then, we could get killed, or kidnapped, or enslaved, or…'

'Kendall!'

'Alright then,' Kendall gave in. 'Let's go talk to them.'

'Oh yeah!' Carlos ran towards the group and started talking animatedly. Kendall was just waiting for the moment when he'd be required to cart Carlos' bruised and bloodied body away from the crime scene. But instead of beating Carlos up, the bikers seemed to be having a really interesting discussion with him. Carlos gestured at Kendall, inviting him to join the group conversation. But Kendall shook his head and smiled. He didn't really feel like talking much, especially not to those people. Carlos nodded like he understood, then returned to his conversation with the bikers. After what seemed like 10 minutes, Carlos came back to Kendall with a glum expression.

'What's with the long face?' Kendall asked Carlos.

'Apparently everyone in the Greater LA area is here because they all received a mass text message saying that there was gonna be some sort of explanation about this whole nightmare,' he explained. 'There are probably a billion people in here! We're never gonna find Kelly!'

'Wow, people really wanna get to the bottom of this, huh?' Kendall mused. 'Did they say anything about seeing her?'

Carlos shook his head. 'They said that even if they'd seen her, there's no way that they'd remember her. Plus, she could be anywhere in the building by now. For all we know, she might've even left!'

'Okay, maybe Logan and James found something. Let's go find them,' Kendall said. Carlos nodded and meekly followed him. Kendall dialled James' number on his phone and waited for the other boy to pick up.

'_Hey Kendall, found anything?'_

'Not at all, man. What should we do?'

'_Uh, I don't really know. Maybe try making an announcement over the intercom?'_

'Of course! Alright, make your way to the hospital office now. We'll meet you there.' Kendall ended the phone call. He was about to tell Carlos about his conversation with James when a piercing scream filled the air. He turned to see zombies practically _pouring _into the building. From their vantage point near the receptionist's desk, they could see the ghastly creatures tear into the poor unsuspecting souls standing near the entrance. And if they didn't move fast, they'd soon be zombie chow too. 'Carlos, run!'

'Wait, what about Logan and James?'

'Oh shit, where are they?!'

Carlos peered around frantically for a few seconds, before pointing at something behind Kendall jubilantly. 'There they are!'

'C'mon guys, hurry up! We have to get into the car!'

'How?' Logan asked. 'They're blocking the entrance, if you haven't noticed!'

'Guys, they getting closer!' James squealed. 'Think of something, fast!'

'How 'bout the second floor? We could climb out of a window and get to the girls!' Kendall suggested.

'But what if we break our legs in the process? We'll be sitting ducks!' Logan argued.

'You have a better idea?'

Logan contemplated the fact for a while before shaking his head. 'No, I don't. But I swear, Knight; if I end up-'

'Nothing's gonna happen, let's just go!' James ran for the staircases. The other three boys followed suit, trying to jostle their way through the panicked crowd. They sped up two flights of stairs in record time; the sounds of hungry zombies acting as strong motivation for their aching muscles. 'Let's try that room!' James pointed at a random door to their left. Without a second thought, the four boys burst into the room noisily.

'Who are you people?!' a blonde 30-something woman screamed shrilly. Her large eyes did not portray any fear; rather, they radiated the woman's anger. Carlos tried to explain their predicament, but Kendall pulled him away.

'No time, Carlos! We have to leave!' he reminded sternly. James already had the windows wide open; and had one leg draped over the edge.

'Look, those bushes over there should break our fall and prevent us from undergoing any serious injuries,' Logan told them. He seemed really sure about it, but his voice lacked conviction. Kendall knew that deep down inside, Logan's logic was probably shrieking at him; telling him to not do anything as stupid as this. But at this point, what other choice did they have?

'Wait, are you boys gonna commit mass suicide or something?' the blonde woman inquired.

'None of your business, lady! And I'd suggest you lock the door now,' Kendall told her.

'Let's just get this over with,' James said. He took a deep breath and jumped. The boys saw him fly through the air for half a second, before he landed squarely onto the bushes.

'Whataya know? Logan's winky-dink calculations actually worked!' Carlos exclaimed.

'They aren't winky-dink calculations, okay? They're highly sophisticated calculations involving velocity, gravitational acceleration and elasticity...'

'Hey Logan,' Carlos interrupted. 'You're boring.'

'Fuck you.'

'Guys, stop it! We need to get to safety ASAP. Logan, jump now before I push you. You do know that I can and will do it,' Kendall threatened the black-haired math whiz.

'Fine,' Logan muttered. He closed his eyes and slid off the windowsill, landing exactly like James did on the topiary.

'Carlos, Kendall, hurry up guys! We have no idea when those things will realize we're here!' James yelled up at them.

'Jump on three?' Carlos asked. Kendall nodded and stepped onto the windowsill. 'One, two, three!' Kendall leapt up into the air and closed his eyes, expecting to shatter into a million pieces upon hitting the ground. But all he felt was a scratchy caress as his body landed on the prickly bushes.

'C'mon Kendall, let's get to the car now!' Kendall heard Carlos tell him. He opened his eyes and saw that James and Logan were already halfway there. Suddenly, a chilling growl sounded behind them. Kendall saw Carlos' eyes widen; saw his lower lip quiver. 'What are you waiting for? Let's go!' Carlos grabbed Kendall's wrist and wrenched forcefully. Kendall and Carlos started running like a pair of panicked cockroaches, intent on reaching the relative safety of their car before any zombies got them. As soon as they arrived, the two boys leapt into the car and slammed the door close. 'Drive, drive, drive!' Kendall yelled.

'But-'

'Just do it!' Kendall commanded as a bunch of zombies started pounding their fists on the windows.

'Kendall, Jo and Camille are still in there,' Katie told him.

'What? I told them to stay in here!'

'I couldn't stop them! They just rushed out of the car as soon as you entered the hospital,' Mrs Knight defended herself. Kendall clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

'Drive.'

'Wait, what?' Mrs Knight was astonished. Similar looks of bafflement were present on everyone else's faces. 'You actually wanna leave them?'

'What else do you expect me to do? Sit here and wait for them? If you haven't noticed yet, zombies are standing right outside our car!'

'Fair enough. Is everyone else okay with this?' Mrs Knight asked. All the others nodded slowly, taking in the reality that they were going to abandon two of their closest friends. By driving away, they were essentially sentencing Jo and Camille to death by zombie.

'No objections? Okay then, let's go.'

* * *

Jade, Beck and Sinjin finally managed to locate Cedars-Sinai after hours of being on road. Every path Jade told them to take was blocked by abandoned vehicles. What was supposed to be a 10 minute commute ended up as a terrifying five hour ordeal.

'Finally!' Jade sighed with relief. She was about to rush out of the car, but Beck gripped her wrist tightly.

'Listen, I don't want you to get your hopes up. Look at all those dead bodies lying on the ground. Obviously, the zombies have already been here. Cathy's a cancer patient, who's probably too weak to defend herself against any attacks. So chances are-'

'Go suck a dick, Beck,' Jade stopped him before he could continue. 'Cathy is alive. She can't be dead.' She stepped out of Beck's truck and ran for the hospital, holding her bat ready to bash any zombie who dared to attack her. Behind her, Beck and Sinjin struggled to keep up; mainly because they were focusing more on locating any lurking zombies. 'Move it, boys!' she yelled as she set foot in Cedars-Sinai. The carnage that she witnessed in the lobby would scar her for life. Mangled human corpses littered the floor like ants, covered in nauseating blood and entrails. Their faces were frozen in an eternal mask of absolute terror; the same mask they wore as they were being devoured by the hellish beasts. Jade accidentally stomped on a soft squishy sphere; which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be an eyeball. She stifled a gag and took a deep breath. 'Just find Cathy,' she told herself. She made her way up the stairs to the first floor, mentally tracing a map to Cathy's room. She'd been there so many times, the path was practically engraved in Jade's hippocampus. 'Cathy, I'm here! I'm here!' Jade cried as she ran along the hallway towards Cathy's room. She desperately hoped to see Cathy alive and well, smiling warmly at her. But as she entered the room, Jade realised that it was too late. Cathy was motionless on her blood-soaked bed, a single ugly bite mark on her neck. Jade walked towards her and collapsed to the ground; tears streaming down her face. She heard Beck and Sinjin enter the room behind her. She listened as Beck quietly told Sinjin about Jade West's relationship with elder half-sister not many knew about; Cathy Morrison. Her mind spun as she reminisced about all the good times they had together, and all the times Cathy had supported her when she fell. She'd never hear the woman's bubbly laugh again; never see her hilariously uncoordinated dance moves. She'd never see Cathy again.

* * *

'Listen Beck, I'm not heartless,' Sinjin whispered. 'I understand that Jade needs some alone time right now. Problem is, we can't really afford that right now. Not when there's the possibility of a huge zombie horde bursting into the room at any second.'

'I got it,' Beck said. He approached Jade slowly and tapped her lightly on her shoulder. 'Jade, babe, I'm really sorry.'

'S'okay. You didn't kill her,' she sniffled. Her mascara was flowing down her cheeks in thin rivulets, giving her a weird mime-like appearance.

'You feeling okay?'

Jade gave Beck a stony glare. 'The person I loved the most is dead, Beck. What do you think?'

'Sorry, that came out wrong,' Beck apologized. 'But Jade, we really have to leave. There's no telling when a zombie could attack us. We need to go before anything bad happens.'

Jade nodded, aware of the harsh reality. If they weren't careful, they could meet a grisly end; just like Cathy and all those other people in the hospital. Right now, she needed to make sure that the three of them got back to the hotel safely. There would be time for mourning later. 'Alright, let's roll guys.'

Sinjin and Beck crept out of the room and made their way to the staircase. Jade slowly walked out of the room and whispered a silent goodbye to the deceased woman. Suddenly, an ancient memory resurfaced in Jade's mind.

_'Whenever someone dies, they never really leave you, Jade. All they do is move to a new house. The only thing that changes is the place where they live, not their thoughts and memories of you. And when someone loves you, they will always love you, no matter what.'_

Tears started pouring down her cheeks again as she remembered Cathy's exact words when she tried to explain the concept of death to a seven-year old Jade. _'I'm gonna hold you to your promise, Cathy. You said that love, thoughts and memories don't disappear after death. You'd better be right.'_ Suddenly, an extremely recognizable shriek from the staircase brought her back to reality. '_Oh no, not them too!' _her mind muttered to herself. She raced towards the source of the shrill scream, her bat raised in a battle-ready position. All the depression from Cathy's death was now converted into red-hot anger. Jade was ready to destroy any zombie who dared touch either Beck or Sinjin. However, what she saw was not what she was expecting at all.

'Wait, aren't you _the _Jo Taylor from New Town High?'


End file.
